May They Aspire: Guest Post by Darnell Johnson
Darnell Johnson is the illustrator of the upcoming graphic novel, Power Up. In today’s guest post for the Mackin community blog, he discusses his process of creating art that inspires children. [...]
“How-To” Writing: An Important Life Skill
When I taught first grade, one of my favorite writing units was the “How-to” unit. This unit was always engaging and excited every student. I realized students loved this unit so much because [...]
Debuts that Celebrate Diverse Friendships
February is known for Valentine’s Day, a celebration of romantic love. But it can also be a time to honor friendships. Friends can be the most important people in our life. In an article [...]
Creative Energy in the Midst of a Pandemic: Guest Post by Natalie C. Parker
Natalie C. Parker is an author and editor of books for young adults. Stormbreak, the thrilling conclusion to her Seafire trilogy, is scheduled to come out in February 2021. In this guest post for [...]
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?: Guest Post by Edward van de Vendel
If we could do a bit of time traveling and end up right next to the chair I’m sitting on, in a classroom, in, let’s say, November 1974 (I’m ten years old), and if we could ask my younger self [...]
Kate Messner: The Grown-Up Version of “That Kid with a Million Questions”
It only takes a quick glance at Kate Messner’s website to grasp that she’s a prolific, award-winning writer with a wide array of books to her credit. Digging deeper reveals something more: No [...]
Celebrate Black History by Honoring Today’s Diversity
As student populations become more diverse, classmates are very likely to have friends in different racial and ethnic groups. The year 2020 was full of challenges and change. The events that our [...]
The Case for Comics in the Classroom
Comics are kind of like that one “weird” kid in school no one knows how to be friends with. As a medium, it’s studded with unfortunate tropes. The ubiquitous caped crusaders, the artsy [...]
